An Interview with Jessica Truscott- 2018 AIPP WA Family Photographer Of The Year

Friday, 8 June 2018

The recent Australian Institute of Professional Photography awards saw the talented Jessica Truscott from our Balcatta studio take home the 2018 WA Family Photographer of the Year Award. We sat down with Jessica to talk about her award and what she loves about photographing families.

What was your reaction when you found out you’d won the 2018 WA Family Photographer of the year award?

A wave of such huge satisfaction and happiness swept over me. It is lovely to have recognition for the work I get to create every day. There are some pretty impressive photographers in Perth, so it feels great to have my name up there amongst them.

What was your favourite family portrait that you submitted and why?

Showing a modern family dynamic, where all the kids are on their phones while the parent is in the ‘real world’

This was an unplanned image, I had been photographing the kids individually and the rest of the group was waiting behind me playing on their phones, I spun around to pick my next model, saw this moment and quickly snapped it up.

What do you love most about photographing families?

One of the most important things I have learned is there is no such thing as a “normal” family, they come in all kinds of odd shapes and sizes, and this role has opened my eyes up to being a more accepting person of peoples quirks and oddities. I love to incorporate controlled chaos into my photoshoots, letting the kids be crazy kids and capturing spontaneous and fun imagery.

What can families expect when they come in for a Viva photo session?

The moment you walk in its all about “you”. The best times I have ever had in a studio with a family is when everybody is feeling relaxed, so you will be welcomed into an environment where the photography team is truly interested in making sure you have a memorable and personalised moment. From playing with the kids, having a great coffee while browsing our photo albums, telling bad jokes to make even the grumpiest teenager laugh, to popping open a bottle of champagne to celebrate something special. We are a curious bunch of photographers, we want to know your story so that we can reflect it back into the images. We try to go out of our way to make sure you leave the studio feeling great about yourself and with a collection of beautiful images to treasure forever.

What was your most memorable family photo session?

There are far too many to name just one. I’ve photographed refugees from war zones, cancer survivors, circus families, teeny-tiny premature babies, professional ballerinas and farmers from the deep outback. It’s too hard to pick just one!